No, no, no. He couldn't be saying this! "So I'm not being promoted?"
"No. I'm sorry." Mr. Peterson clasped my shoulder. "Mr. Underhill, if you want a promotion, you need to study more. You need to bring back the largest selection of meat. We need you to prove that giving you the privileges which come with the position will be repaid by your squad's effectiveness, and at this time, I'm not sure you're the best choice. Felix Holmes has only one less hunt than you, but he killed three beasts himself." He paused. "I'm sorry, Sylis, but he'll be the next squad leader."
"Oh."
Mr. Peterson nodded almost like he was trying to reassure me. "Gideon Kobrick chose him, and as the operations leader, it's important to have hunters he feels confident working with."
"That makes sense," I agreed reluctantly.
"But!" Mr. Peterson went on. "You'll have time before the next hunt to brush up on tactics and strategy like these men." Hegestured to the ones now behind me. "I'll be assigning new teams this week, so you'll know your men. Also, with the reprieve, you'll have the chance to train them the way you'd like so you can prove you deserve that promotion."
"What reprieve?" I asked.
One of the men by the map chuckled. "He was in the infirmary last night, Mr. Peterson. Sounds like he hasn't heard the news."
"What news?" Because whatnewscould there be?
"We have enough meat now to cancel the next hunt. You men will have extra free time to walk with the girls you might be interested in, and hopefully propose." Mr. Peterson smiled knowingly at me. "I will also say that marriage will help convince us you're mature enough for a leadership role, Mr. Underhill."
"I see." Because what else could I say to that?
They were really pushing the need for marriage. Never mind that skipping the next hunt would give us nearly five weeks locked down here! Five weeks before we could speak to Ayla again. Five long weeks, filled with multiple weddings and mounting pressures.
And Tobias would be wed on the Day of Seven Trumpets. That was one week away. Not enough time for us to stop this! He'd made it clear he didn't really want to get married, but he had no other choice. Callah was his friend, he'd told me, but women would expect a child. It was their reward for the labor they provided us, and I didn't think Tobias had any interest in that.
I left the hunter's lounge with my mind spinning all over again. Tobias couldn't get married. He just couldn't! I knew we'd all have to, but I'd hoped that maybe we'd find a way around it. Once we had the code, Ayla would let us stay above ground. She'd save us!
Now that wasn't going to happen. I'd failed. I hadn't even realized there was a competition for promotions. Lately, too few men had made it back, so anyone alive would get moved up. But last time, plenty of us had survived. The grenades had worked. They'd beaten back the dragons and wild men. They'd turned the tide.
And now I was stuck.
I didn't want to get married! I had no interest in holding a woman down to put a child inside her. I didn't want to have her in my space, moving my things, and sprawling on the bed beside me. Iwantedto spend that time with my friends. No, withTobias.
He was large, strong, and so very kind. He was calm and patient. His strange hazel eyes always felt so knowing when they landed on me, as if he could see each and every sin I carried. Almost like he had to know the secret I was hiding, but I couldn't tell him. I didn't dare.
He'd only told me the smallest fraction of his. He'd hinted, sure. So had I. The problem was that neither of us could just talk about it. We couldn't say what we really meant! The risk was too great. Someone could overhear. In truth, while I hated to even consider it, he could be trying to lure me into admitting it so he could turn me in - and I was sure he worried about the same with me.
But this? This was not good news. Five weeks without a trip to the surface? Five weeks filled with weddings and celebrations? Five whole weeks of prayer, public attendance, and countless other ways I could mess up and get demoted to the fungus farms!
That was if I even survived the punishment the elders would heap upon me.
No, I'd been counting on the Phoenix saving us. She might be a mere woman, but the Dragons listened to her. She had a beastat her side nearly the size of a man. She'd moved fast enough I'd barely gotten my arms up before her weapon had sliced me open.
That woman was a fighter. She was so much more than just a hunter. She had made herself into a warrior in only a matter of months, and because of her, the Righteous were losing. Without that code, there was no way for Tobias, his intended, and me to get out, which meant we'd likely be destroyed along with the rest of the people in this cursed hole we were locked inside.
Even worse, I was going to have to break the bad news to him. We were stuck in here, I hadn't gotten the code, and hewasgoing to be married. The plans we'd talked about? All those beautiful things we'd said out there under the stars? They wouldn't happen now, and I didn't know what we were supposed to do.
Maybe Callah would? Tobias always said she was as smart as the Phoenix. He said she would know the answers, and this time I didn't. All I knew was being locked down here for five weeks was too much time, and the elders were already altering the rules.
Something was going to change. My fear was it wouldn't be for the better.
One
Ayla
I'd read over Callah's letter a dozen times now. At this rate, I was pretty sure I had it memorized - which was a good thing, because I still had to tell Meri about it. So, as I walked into the large building the Dragons called a hospital, I thought over all of it again while I simultaneously tried to decide who I should see first: Kanik or Meri.
I chose Kanik. Mostly, that was because I could always leave Holly with him while I talked to Meri, so it just made sense. My dog had become my constant companion. More of a shadow in some ways, but one that had become like an extension of myself.
